diff --git a/src/aleph/handlers/message_handler.py b/src/aleph/handlers/message_handler.py
index 76d36c931..9f665c4ea 100644
--- a/src/aleph/handlers/message_handler.py
+++ b/src/aleph/handlers/message_handler.py
@@ -379,11 +379,28 @@ async def insert_costs(
             insert_stmt = make_costs_upsert_query(costs)
             session.execute(insert_stmt)
 
-    async def verify_message(self, pending_message: PendingMessageDb) -> MessageDb:
+    async def verify_and_fetch_message(
+        self, session: DbSession, pending_message: PendingMessageDb
+    ) -> MessageDb:
         await self.verify_signature(pending_message=pending_message)
         validated_message = await self.fetch_pending_message(
             pending_message=pending_message
         )
+        content_handler = self.get_content_handler(pending_message.type)
+
+        # Check Permissions before the fetch
+        await content_handler.check_permissions(
+            session=session, message=validated_message
+        )
+
+        await content_handler.pre_check_balance(
+            session=session, message=validated_message
+        )
+
+        # Fetch related content like the IPFS associated file
+        await content_handler.fetch_related_content(
+            session=session, message=validated_message
+        )
 
         return validated_message
 
@@ -432,14 +449,10 @@ async def process(
             )
 
         # First check the message content and verify it
-        message = await self.verify_message(pending_message=pending_message)
-
-        # Do a balance pre-check to avoid saving related data
+        message = await self.verify_and_fetch_message(
+            pending_message=pending_message, session=session
+        )
         content_handler = self.get_content_handler(message.type)
-        await content_handler.pre_check_balance(session=session, message=message)
-
-        # Fetch related content like the IPFS associated file
-        await self.fetch_related_content(session=session, message=message)
 
         await content_handler.check_dependencies(session=session, message=message)
         await content_handler.check_permissions(session=session, message=message)
diff --git a/src/aleph/jobs/fetch_pending_messages.py b/src/aleph/jobs/fetch_pending_messages.py
index 7da909c2f..ce85ab879 100644
--- a/src/aleph/jobs/fetch_pending_messages.py
+++ b/src/aleph/jobs/fetch_pending_messages.py
@@ -55,9 +55,10 @@ def __init__(
     async def fetch_pending_message(self, pending_message: PendingMessageDb):
         with self.session_factory() as session:
             try:
-                message = await self.message_handler.verify_message(
-                    pending_message=pending_message
+                message = await self.message_handler.verify_and_fetch_message(
+                    pending_message=pending_message, session=session
                 )
+
                 session.execute(
                     make_pending_message_fetched_statement(
                         pending_message, message.content
diff --git a/tests/message_processing/test_process_stores.py b/tests/message_processing/test_process_stores.py
index 6b1b3be5d..48e50c1f4 100644
--- a/tests/message_processing/test_process_stores.py
+++ b/tests/message_processing/test_process_stores.py
@@ -215,15 +215,15 @@ async def test_process_store_no_signature(
         )
         session.commit()
 
+    file_hash = "c25b0525bc308797d3e35763faf5c560f2974dab802cb4a734ae4e9d1040319e"
+    file_content = b"Hello Aleph.im"
+
     storage_service = StorageService(
-        storage_engine=MockStorageEngine(
-            files={
-                "c25b0525bc308797d3e35763faf5c560f2974dab802cb4a734ae4e9d1040319e": b"Hello Aleph.im"
-            }
-        ),
+        storage_engine=MockStorageEngine(files={file_hash: file_content}),
         ipfs_service=mocker.AsyncMock(),
         node_cache=mocker.AsyncMock(),
     )
+
     message_processor.message_handler.storage_service = storage_service
     storage_handler = message_processor.message_handler.content_handlers[
         MessageType.store
@@ -738,7 +738,6 @@ async def test_pre_check_balance_with_existing_costs(
             "aleph.storage.StorageService.get_hash_content",
             return_value=small_file_content,
         ):
-
             # Process first message to add existing costs
             await message_handler.process(
                 session=session, pending_message=fixture_ipfs_store_message
diff --git a/tests/test_network.py b/tests/test_network.py
index 29733ab9c..9b61f5370 100644
--- a/tests/test_network.py
+++ b/tests/test_network.py
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ async def test_incoming_inline_content(
         reception_time=dt.datetime(2022, 1, 1),
         fetched=True,
     )
-
-    message = await message_handler.verify_message(pending_message=pending_message)
-    assert message is not None
+    with session_factory() as session:
+        message = await message_handler.verify_and_fetch_message(
+            pending_message=pending_message, session=session
+        )
+        assert message is not None